


Mourning Rain

by ScribeOnTheSide



Category: Fire Emblem Series, Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: F/M, Fluff and Angst, Grief/Mourning, Rain
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-17
Updated: 2019-09-17
Packaged: 2020-10-20 06:33:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,179
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20670881
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ScribeOnTheSide/pseuds/ScribeOnTheSide
Summary: Claude feels helpless after Byleth disappears from sight around the monastery.  He wants to help her with her grieving.  Light, short, angsty.





	Mourning Rain

The rain felt never ending. Rivulets ran down the heavy stone walls, joining together as cascading streams down the dormitory’s many stairs into the swamp of the common area.  
The sticky, muddy slog that greeted anyone that dared step off the path reflected the general mood of the monastery. 

Hunched against the downpour, a cloaked figure made his way down the endless row of private rooms. The dark and the rain would have hidden him but no one was out and about anyway. *He* shouldn’t be out, Claude thought to himself. The extra training Rhea ordered after the incident meant he ended every day more tired than the day before. *He* should be sleeping. But his ever increasing worry forced him out of his cozy, warm room and into the weather. 

She hadn’t been seen in days, not even at meal times. Now that he thought about it, the funeral was the last reliable sighting of her. That was over a week ago and his concern grew every time his thoughts wandered back to her. 

She’d been expressionless at the funeral, as Alois formally presented her with Jeralt’s sword from his time with the Knights of Seiros. Byleth, instead of keeping it in remembrance of her father, put the gleaming weapon in the casket, wrapping Jeralt’s cold, stiff hands around the hilt as it rested on his chest, pointing downward. Then, after laying the first forget-me-not on his chest, she stepped back and watched the mourners filter by with their own floral offerings. 

Even now, Claude marveled at the blanket of flowers covering the man, a testament to how much he was loved and respected as everyone in Garreg Mach contributed to the tribute. He wondered if there was anything still living in the greenhouse. 

She'd closed the casket herself, after everyone left. Well, most everyone. Claude respected her desire to be alone but couldn’t bear to leave her with no one. Lingering at the top of the staircase, he watched her wave away the gravediggers without so much as a word after they lowered her father into the grave. Picking up a nearby shovel, Byleth finished the job herself. Every shovelful of dirt was added slower and slower. Claude wanted nothing more than to run down the stairs but it was obvious she wanted to say goodbye to the only person she knew as family by herself. Finally, the last shovelful fell into place. It began raining as she finished, mixing with the tears running down her face. 

Since then, the rain hadn’t let up. Everyday rain poured and thick, heavy clouds blocked all sunshine from touching the monastery. It felt like the world was wrapped in wet gray wool. The archbishop’s concern with the security breach kept him away from checking on Byleth since then. Plus, if he was honest with himself, was it his place to check on her? She was his Professor, his Teach. But if he stuck with the honesty thing, she encompassed so much more for him. She was his friend, his confidant, his...well, he didn’t know how to label the odd protective yet vulnerable feelings that surfaced whenever he caught a glimpse of her. 

He held off, cautious of her need to grieve, as long as he could. But every awake moment, his eyes searched for her. Every night, he dreamed about striking down the assassin before he could kill Jeralt or the look of horror on Byleth’s face as he fell. Every morning, his heavy heart wondered if she’d even slept.

This day was different though. While he still looked, Claude felt like he could almost hear her. Finally, after turning around for the hundredth time to answer her call, he made up his mind. He had to know she was okay. That was all. Not bother her with conversation or his feelings or anything like that. He just wanted to check on her, then leave her be. Or at least that’s what he told himself.

As the rain finished soaking through his clothing, Claude arrived at the plain wooden door next to the bulletin board. Nothing differentiated it from all the other doors but as he stepped up to it, he...felt different, like a veil of sadness had draped over him. Maybe this wasn’t such a good idea. 

Mustering his resolve, Claude knocked softly on the door. After a few minutes, he knocked again, a little louder. Maybe the rain was drowning him out. Standing there with the rain soaking into his boots, he felt his hope draining away. Maybe she’d left the monastery entirely.

Just as he turned to return to his room, the door cracked open. Claude’s heart leapt. He’d never seen her without her battle uniform. The plain tunic and pants made her look small and lost. Her eye still bore traces of recent tears and the bags under them alluded to many sleepless nights. 

“Claude?” was all she said.

Claude’s immediate thought was to throw the door open, wrap her in a blanket, and feed her warm soup until she fell asleep. Knowing that would probably find him on the pointy end of her sword, he quashed that idea and put on a smile instead.

“Hi, Teach. I just wanted to check on you. Do you need anything? Or can I do anything for you?”

Her mouth tried to smile but failed.  
“No thanks. I'm fine.” 

As she started to shut the door, Claude impulsively reached out and took her free hand, clasping it tightly between his own.  
“Please...please let me help! Anything, anything at all. Just name it. Anything to make the hurt just a tiny bit less.”

Byleth withdrew her hand from his.  
“The things I want are either nothing you can or should give me. Now please, get out of the rain before you catch a cold.”

Claude bowed deeply to try and hide his embarrassed blush. What was he thinking, taking her hand like that?  
“As you wish, my Professor.”

Byleth started to shut the door then paused.  
“Come fetch me for dinner in a few days. It will be...good to get outside, I think.”

Before he could respond, the door clicked shut. Claude stood there looking at it before breaking into a big grin and punching the air in victory. He’d get her out of her room and back into life. Reaching out, he placed his hand on the center of the door.

“I promise, I’ll bring back that smile of yours, no matter what!” he thought to himself.

After a few minutes, he turned to head back, noticing that the rain had finally lightened up to no more than a drizzle. Anything short of a downpour was progress as far as he was concerned. Whistling softly, he made his way to his room.

On the other side of the door, Byleth stood with her hand against the door's center. She heard his familiar whistle start up. Despite her loneliness, despite her grief, despite everything...a small smile graced the corners of her mouth at the sound.


End file.
